Whereas Yeah Yeah Yeahs [ tickets ] showed their bones for their sophomore release, the trio's third album, "It's Blitz!," reveals some major guts. Fired up synthesizers and electronic gadgets galore accentuate or morph their distinctive razor-sharp rock.

Immediately evident is that YYYs have considerably increased their sound and expanded their style. Dance-floor essentials like the digital-buzzing climax of "Zero," the synth new-wave-synth explosion of "Heads Will Roll" and the Blondie-style disco-jolt of "Dragon Queen" emphasize booty-shaking over bodily destruction. Above all, these 10 songs expose indie icon Karen O at her finest. O belts out commands ("Dance until you're dead!") with fresh, breezy energy and purrs her brittle ballads with hauntingly raw heart.

The album is dense with party tracks, but it's equally saturated with introspection. The elaborate, symphonic eccentricity of "Runaway" is a musical high, and is unlike anything YYYs have done before. "Hysteric" is a sweeping tune, during which O sounds like an entranced bride-to-be, singing, "Flow sweetly hang heavy/You suddenly complete me." Cranked-up sweat-bomb beats alternate with more vulnerable, dreamy melodies, making "It's Blitz!" a nonstop, captivating listen. As if driving home this point, the album begins under a wildly spun disco ball, but ends with the delicate, cinematic lullaby of "Little Shadow."

Compact layers of sound and mounting crescendos were undoubtedly encouraged by producers Nick Launay (Arcade Fire, Talking Heads) and TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. These waves of sound bring new thrill and dimension to YYYs artsy intensity. A fearless diversion from most of the group's previous work, "It's Blitz!" merits both its definition and punctuation.